Email Scam May Target IOLTA Accounts

Lawyers should use caution if they receive unusual communications via email from their financial institutions that may contain .zip file attachments. The District of Columbia Bar reported this week that some of its employees received messages indicating that the recipients had insufficient funds to pay outstanding checks in the lawyers’ trust accounts, and directing the recipients to open the attachment. It is believed that the attachment to those emails contained malware.

The Legal Ethics Counsel reminds Missouri lawyers to be cautious if they receive such unusual emails purporting to be from their financial institutions. A lawyer should not open such attachments without verifying with his or her financial institution that it has, in fact, sent such a message.